PTSD is about more than flashbacks. Many people experience hypervigilance, emotional numbness, avoidance, sleep problems, and difficulty feeling safe long after a traumatic event has ended.

You are not weak, broken, or too sensitive. If you avoid conflict at all costs and feel responsible for keeping everyone else comfortable, your nervous system may be protecting you the only way it knows how. This is called the fawn response, and understanding it can be the first step toward healing.